WATCH | MK Party’s Shivambu takes a veiled swipe at Malema

Former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who has been unveiled as the National Organiser of the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, took a veiled swipe at his former boss – EFF president Julius Malema.

Without mentioning his name, Shivambu charged that Malema was running the EFF like a fiefdom. He said the red berets leader’s ego was bruised by him leaving the Winnie Mandela House.

Sound and solid decision ever

Shivambu was responding to a question about why he left the EFF for MKP. He insists the latter was the most “sound and solid decision ever”.

According to Shivambu, the MK Party was the best available platform to mount a revolution. This for the total emancipation of black people in general, and Africans in particular.

He was speaking in Sandton, where the MK Party held a media conference. The event was  to announce leadership composition for the organisation.

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Shivambu believes that all “black parties” must come under the MKP umbrella. He said this will put a stop to what has been a disjointed offensive by “progressives” in the country’s body politic.

“I agree that we should unite all the progressive forces into common agenda. Because this thing of small unviable political parties is not sustainable for the future of black people in South Africa,” said Shivambu. He was showered with all sorts of praises by MKP President Jacob Zuma.

Fiefdoms of individuals

“And the temptation as well, and I’m not characterising the EFF, is that when you have multiple of these (small parties), they end up being fiefdoms of individuals. When all of us can set aside our very strong egos and say ‘I don’t have to be a member of parliament or deputy president. I can come and be led by a collective and be subjected to that. And [I  can] be asked to go and organise branches of MKP from scratch’.”

Shivambu also took issue with Malema’s characterisation of his departure from EFF as a betrayal to him.

“Some people were saying ‘you are betraying me’ where does that enter? And you don’t once suggest that I’m betraying the revolution. Because I will never betray the revolution,” said Shivambu.

“We are not in the business of trying to please each other’s egos here. And we are in the business of building a revolutionary movement that is going to emancipate the black majority and Africans in particular. We are unapologetic about that. That is what we stand for.”

Shivambu, in his new MKP role, will be responsible for research and organising. Also political education; monitoring and evaluation. He will also lead cadre development as well as building party structures.

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